Through the Grapevine: Vintners tackling legislative issues

Published 12:01 am, Wednesday, March 9, 2011

The Texas Wine and Grape Growers Association held its 35th annual conference and trade show last week in San Marcos. While the event focused on a variety of topics, including social media, creating effective websites, and seminars for winemakers and grape growers, the hot topic was legislative issues.

Lou Bright, general counsel for TWGGA, said this is the darkest discussed session in his years of experience. “A lot of good programs will hit the dust,” he said.

He's referencing the cuts to the $4.3 million funding to the Texas Department of Agriculture that's used for research, marketing and education for the grape growing and wine industry.

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There are also six bills on the group's agenda for the 82nd Texas Legislature, and Bright efficiently summarized them.

SB 411 and HB 1366 would increase the limit of wine tasting room sales from 35,000 to 55,000 gallons.

SB 438 would extend the time a wine vendor could use a festival and farmers market permit to four consecutive days. It would also remove the limit on the number of times a permit could be used.

SB 621 basically cleans up winery code from the last legislative session.

SB 799 deals with tax payments and clarifies that a winery is only taxed when selling to a consumer or retailer and not when selling to other wineries or wholesalers.

SB 923 would simplify the permit process, requiring one state permit for noncontiguous premises, such as an off-premise tasting room. However, that location must be within 10 miles, in the same county and viticulture area and integrated in the wine production.

The last agenda item would allow wineries to sell small amounts of beer during receptions and events hosted on-site.

TWGGA is working to get these bills passed and hoping for the best on funding. It has another Legislative Action Day scheduled for April 13. You can learn more about it at txwines.org.

Jennifer McInnis is the wine columnist for the San Antonio Express-News. jmcinnis